The Pride of a Nation
by Valbonne
Summary: Told in the first person, this is a philosophical musing from the view of each Nordic as he reflects on what it means to be a nation. [1: Sweden, 2: Finland / the rest are in progress]
1. Sverige (Sweden) - Ensam (Alone)

watch?v=Q2SWQxefy2c

For years, I had borne on my shoulders the weight of raising a nation. For years, I had fought for my land. For years, I had striven to keep my people happy.  
A grueling job it was, indeed. Many wars had marred my soil and claimed lives. I had seen my nation rise and struggle, struggle to rise.

I would never know what it was to be human...

Nor to fight for my nation, and die trying.  
Nor to fight for my nation, and live to tell the tale.  
Nor to find true love, and to kindle its fire until I grew old and passed on.

There were many experiences a nation would never have.

I had seen my brothers shove their way to nationhood; I had seen them fervently engaged in battle.  
I had helped them in their times of hardship, lifted them onto their feet, urged them to stand.  
I had also fought against them.

Such was the life of a nation, and such was the internal turmoil that raged inside me.

The ones I cared for, the ones I called my family... In the end, they were all I had. All of the others would fade into history, with only the ghost of a memory keeping their spirit alive.

And even I had found love once.

I would never know if he loved me back. He told me, over and over again. He repeated it many times to me, to my face, whispering into my ear, shouting it into the vast mountains of my northernmost land, crying my name into the southern waters between us. For seven centuries, I clung to him with all I had.

But I would never know for certain. It was one of those emotions that could grip a nation and bring it to its knees, and for the sake of my people, I could not latch onto such a definite thing. And after those seven hundred years, he broke away from me.

Yes, I had found love...

...But I had also lost it long ago.

Lost to the ice-cold winters of my terrain.

My land was harsh, its summers but a flutter and its winters drawn out to an eternity... Had I not been a nation, I would have highly considered migrating elsewhere.

Alas; it was not my choice. My Nordic climate had been given to me, and all I could do was to focus on building my cities as close to the coast as possible, where the temperatures were milder and the hardships scarcer.

I sit on a ledge by the dock of Skeppsbron every morning, watching the boats crawl out to the sea as the sun's rays tease the edges of the buildings. The sounds of the morning bring my coast to life, and I smile faintly. It is one of the few times when I almost feel human.


	2. Suomi (Finland) - Sisu

watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=d9jxf1OxIqg

Springtime, and I meandered at leisure through the crisp fields, the spectrum spreading across the colourful blossoms surrounding me. I looked up to watch a hint of cloud wisp lightly across the vast blue above me, and I wondered if we truly were united, all under the same sky.

_Kevät._ I loved this time of year: it was when the ice had melted and signs of life had begun to emerge once more. My landscape was full of energy, full of growth, full of regeneration. It was a season that marked a new beginning for everyone.

A flock of geese traced a 'V' along the expanse of sky, and I raised my face to smile at them. "_Huomenta_," I called out to greet them. They did not respond, but they honked among themselves in contentment. Knowing that they were alive was enough; I didn't need any more gratitude than to feel the life coursing through the lands of my nation.

Years of war and broken dreams had buried themselves into my soil, but from these hardships had spawned new hope. My people had endured the invasions and occupations with remarkable resilience, plotting and strategising until they were able to overcome their oppressors—and I was proud of them.

I had faith in my citizens, and they returned my trust by pledging loyalty in me. I would stand tall and fight for their sake.

For the sake of my people, I had lavished much care in forming a proper educational system; it was my wish to encourage them, to inspire them. To provide them with the resources to innovate, to invent, to thrive as a society. I invested much in my citizens—I longed to see them lead happy lives, even if they weren't perfect. I regretted all the affairs I hadn't the power to control. I wept bitterly for the victims of terrible deeds, be they war or crime. I strove to help in any way I could, although well I knew the might of a nation alone was nowhere near as potent as the might of its people. There's strength in numbers, and this was a fact that many countries took for granted.

I would stand by my citizens, no matter the situation. It was my duty to defend them, and it was also my right—my passion. And whatever the outcome, I would continue to honour my silent pact. It was a trait common in my nation, and that my people had such resilience, such determination, had earned them my respect.

_Ja rakkaus?_ Love was an indescribable emotion. I felt it deeply; and it touched me wherever I went, leaving its imprints in the ground on which I trod, amidst the air in which I breathed, within the waters along my coast and in the numerous lakes scattered across my terrain. I felt love all around me, springing up in even the youngest tree saplings, shared between a bear and her cubs, from my southernmost port to the forgotten lands of the north. It was an emotion many nations would not be fortunate enough to experience… But it sustained me. It filled my lungs with air, filled my veins with the blood of my people. We were a nation, together. Alone, I was nothing. But with the support of my land and its inhabitants—from the northern tribes to the southern immigrants, to the caribou that dwelt in the flourishing wilderness of my land… As cruel as my land could be, we were one nation, forged by the willpower of many.

And that…

…That is all I need to find happiness.


End file.
